look East, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Has Myanmar’s opposition leader given up on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations?

By MYinT THin

It’s rather odd that Myanmar’s democracy icon Daw Aung Sang Suu Kyi is not remotely connected to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Over the past few months, the only thing she has said about the bloc was that she wished to see her country “overtaking” it. But she has not elaborated on this remark, which raises questions about her understanding of Asean and its significance.

Since becoming a politician by winning big in last April’s by-elections, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has spent a great deal of time traveling the world, particularly the Western half of it. Although she also made some stops in India, Thailand and South Korea, she has yet to tour the Asean countries. In this connection, it will be interesting to watch her role next year when Myanmar becomes chair of the bloc.

Looking back, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi did show some interest in engaging with Asean at one time. She agreed in mid-July 1995 to meet Yangon-based Asean diplomats, but that meeting was canceled after Myanmar’s ruling junta complained to the host, Brunei. And so she experienced her first disappointment with Asean.

Subsequently, she wrote a letter to the Asean foreign ministers asking them not to support the totalitarian regime by granting it membership in the bloc. Unfortunately, her letter was sidelined because it had not been submitted through a proper diplomatic channel.

Just months earlier, in June 1995, Myanmar had expressed interest in joining Asean and signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, while also becoming an observer as the first step to joining the bloc. The international community, like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, called on Asean to forbid Myanmar from joining due political oppression and human rights violations under the military regime, but Asean went ahead anyway, admitting Myanmar in 1997 along with Laos.

This decision strained relations between Asean and its dialogue partners from the West, and overall cooperation was hampered. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s freedom and democracy in Myanmar became a focal point of Asean relations with the West. Economic sanctions were imposed on Myanmar throughout its membership, including some affecting privileges from Asean’s economic agreements with the West. Myanmar also shied away from hosting the Asean chair in 2005, citing domestic conditions and unpreparedness.

Over the past two years, these nightmares have passed. Myanmar has been active within the bloc, trying hard to catch up in all three pillars of the Asean Community, including economic, political/security and social/cultural pillars. The country’s government agencies and officials are acquainting themselves with the bloc’s various protocols, procedures and key issues, while also receiving training from Asean experts to become the chair next year. But somehow, the opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), still doesn’t know where to begin. As its leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should have led the way, but she hasn’t yet shown any eagerness to connect with Asean.

Her supporters in Asean, including several close friends who previously campaigned tirelessly for her freedom, are asking why this is so. They all wish to see her reconciled with Asean, promoting the grouping’s democratic space and engagement with civil society. As a legislator, she could make a difference as Asean becomes a single community in the next few years. She could link to the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus, which has fought for her freedom and continues to speak out on human rights violations inside the country.

Her informal region-wide networks would also be useful in drumming up support to ensure that Asean becomes a truly people-driven community. It is interesting to note that during her incarceration, whenever Aseanbased civil society organizations held meetings, they would ask Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to speak a few words, gracing their meetings with insight and inspiration. Numerous videos were made in secret and smuggled out to these meetings. Those days are gone, as are these once cherished relations.

Asean member countries need a charismatic leader with moral authority to engage with each other and with the international community. As a Nobel Peace laureate and a symbol of democracy throughout the world, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi could easily fulfill this role. If she so desires, she can also help strengthen democratic institutions within Asean. All she needs to do now is turn her attention to the East.

Myint Thin is a Myanmar pseudonym for a veteran Thai journalist residing in Yangon. His regular column, “Across Irrawaddy,” appears every Wednesday on www. irrawaddy.org.